Is this even possible? (Programmers look in here)

[leapinlew]

Widescreen LCD's are becoming so cheap. Is there a way to code MAME or a front end to display on a portion of the display and use the marquee for the top of the frame which I could then build a cabinet around and have the marquees change automagically?

[Stobe]

You're planning ahead for the spring, are you?

[javeryh]

Holy crap that would be freaking sweet.  I'd even put a strip of wood/MDF in between to really make it look like two separate pieces.

[leapinlew]

You're planning ahead for the spring, are you?

 

Your on to me! Really though, I doubt you see anything else in Project Announcements from me till then. 

[leapinlew]

Holy crap that would be freaking sweet.  I'd even put a strip of wood/MDF in between to really make it look like two separate pieces.

Yeah, it could even be an instruction card/marquee/history window.

[ChadTower]

If you had the source code, sure, it's possible.  Just about anything is possible.

[ahofle]

Pretty neat idea.  I'm guessing you would definitely have to modify MAME's source for it though (as opposed to making it a frontend feature).

[bluevolume]

You could modify the video driver to split the display into 2 functional monitors.  This would be easiest, and would allow you to use existing MAME software.

Actually, you could probably just write a memory-resident layer instead of modifying the video driver itself.  This would be more universal.

[2600]

For MAME this is possible already.

What you want to do is use the Artwork system.  Shouldn't be too difficult once you understand the syntax.  Technically, I believe some of the one's on Mr. Do's site already do this to a certain extent.  Check out ChaseHQ and maybe the NeoGeo ones for examples and play with them to get them how you want them.

[BobA]

How about a mod to mame32?    It can put the game in a window already and also displays marquees etc when in the front end portion.   

[ids]

You could run Mame in a window, and just throw another window above it.  If this "marquee" window is meant to be dynamic - ie, showing the game in play, they perhaps a minor tweak of the Mame code would work.

[u_rebelscum]

I'm with 2600.  No coding and compiling, no two windows you arrange by hand.   All you need is to make a .lay file (+ the marquee picture of course).

Never done it myself, but mame already does bezels, overlays, etc.  What's a marquee but a non-bezel "bezel"?

MameWorld has a page for creating .lay files.  I think the screen needs to fit inside the bezel/marquee (someone verify?).  I tried these numbers just for fun: 1080p, 16:9 monitor (1920x1080), rotated vertical.

Bezel Dimensions: 1080x1920

Bezel Window
Dimensions: 1080x1450
Offset:  0 / 450

Screen
Screen Aspect ratio:  3:4
Border: %  (didn't use this feature)
Dimensions:       1050 x 1400
Offset:            15 / 475

If the marquee takes up the top 450x1080, presto, the .lay file produced should work  Of course, if your monitor is different ratio or res, or if your original marquees are 800x300 (or whatever), you'll need to change the numbers. 

And it would be even better if the "marquee bezel file" didn't need to be bigger than the game screen.

[superbigjay]

Good idea Lew!

did you get this one after seeing NickG post in the project annoucement with it "projector marquee".

your solution for a bartop would be awsome. 
No need to bother for the marquee...
The only restriction would be that it remains in the same plane than the monitor

Jay 

[Mr. Do]

Well, here's something to play with, if you want to check it out.  Example uses the Dig Dug marquee.  Includes views for both a 16:9 and 16:10 monitor (which it practically fills up).

Drop the file into your artwork folder, and test using ROM digduga1.

You can either run MAME with the -ror or -rol switch, or run as normal, then choose "Rotate View" from the "Video Options" menu.

[RandyT]

It's an interesting idea.

I did a few calculations and to get even a modest 20.5" wide "marquee", you would need a 42" LCD (plasma, whathaveyou).  If you used a standard 8" or so for the height, that leaves you with a vertical screen of about 28.75" with a horizontal of 20.5".  Conveniently enough, this equates very closely to the desired 3:4 ratio, but on a rather large scale.  Possibly too large for the aspect ratio to be important, as one would most likely not want to use the entire available space. 

Given a display with enough resolution, both horizontal and vertical games could be represented well, so long as the game images can be placed within the screen real estate as desired.  In another thread, I suggested that the way to get "perfect" 1:1 arcade representations would be to do something like this, using only a portion of the display, so this whole setup might be viable.

The only real downsides I can see are the cost of a 42" display and the "look" of the cabinet.  For what a 42" display costs currently, one could buy a 27" multi-sync for true arcade resolutions, and a separate 23"-26" LCD for a marquee display.  The previously mentioned "marquee on the same plane as the game screen" may also be a concern.  Then again, it could also spawn a whole new look for arcade machine.  Someone would have to give it a go and see what came of it .

RandyT

[Stobe]

Hmmmm.....  In my crystal ball I forsee Randy coming out with a new product....

The 42" LCD-Wiz !!! - The industry's first 42" display to have an integrated marquee bezel!

[telengard]

Heh, I was eyeballing a 42" LCD to build a pinmame cabinet.  Never would have thought of using it for just mame.   
Good idea though.  I like it.

~telengard

[u_rebelscum]

Well, here's something to play with, if you want to check it out.  Example uses the Dig Dug marquee.  Includes views for both a 16:9 and 16:10 monitor (which it practically fills up).

Drop the file into your artwork folder, and test using ROM digduga1.

You can either run MAME with the -ror or -rol switch, or run as normal, then choose "Rotate View" from the "Video Options" menu.

Thanks, Mr Do!   

We can do it today, needing only the marquee files and .lay files to reference those files (just copy the file in Mr Do's post and change the file names).  Without any new products, no special compiling, no waiting for someone else to do the work.

(I was wrong in my first post, and you can use any of the marquees without editing them, such as the high quality ones from Mr Do's site.)


And great idea lew, and glad to see it's as simple as it is to do. 

[blueznl]

Exactly the same option would work well for regular games, just put the 'instruction cards' to the left and the right of the 'Mame' section in the middle.

Now, all I need to find are a few cheap widescreen LCD's... 

[Wade]

Interesting idea!!  Could put the original bezel artwork around the virtual game screen, too.

I can think of a cabinet offhand that has the right screen/marquee plane, because I have the cabinet wasting space in my garage.  Check out the Atari Maximum Force dedicated cabinet.

Wade

[Stobe]

I can think of a cabinet offhand that has the right screen/marquee plane, because I have the cabinet wasting space in my garage.  Check out the Atari Maximum Force dedicated cabinet.

Wade

You still have that thing?  I thought you got rid of it a while back?

(Sorry for the momentary OT)

[leapinlew]

Interesting idea!!  Could put the original bezel artwork around the virtual game screen, too.

I can think of a cabinet offhand that has the right screen/marquee plane, because I have the cabinet wasting space in my garage.  Check out the Atari Maximum Force dedicated cabinet.

Wade

Possibly a tempest cabinet?

[Wade]

Yup, still have it, it's in nice shape so I haven't had the heart to destroy it yet, but with a new car that won't fit in the garage because of project games, I'm starting to really consider it...

Yeah, Tempest might work!  I see cheap 42" LCD's for around $700 these days.  This idea could really have potential.  Though, honestly I think I'd rather keep a WG D9200 and have a separate 8x24-ish LCD marquee if we'd ever find someone making an oddball size like that as a standard PC monitor.

Wade

[Mamiac]

Too bad there isnt an LCD screen that is the exact size of a standard marquee.  Then you could have it use mames marquee images and change automatically depending on which game you are playing, or have a standard "MAME" type marquee diplayed while you are not in a game etc..